WEBVTT DAN: NEW DATA RELEASED BY THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA SHOWS SANTA CRUZ RANKS SECOND JUST BEHIND L.A. FOR HAVING THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATE IN THE STATE. FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT’S BEHIND THE NUMBERS WE GO TO ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ, LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ. PHIL: THE PPIC STUDY SHOWS THAT THE COST OF LIVING PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN WHY SO MANY PEOPLE IN SANTA CRUZ LIVE AT OR NEAR THE POVERTY LINE. THE REPORT FOUND THAT BECAUSE HOUSING COSTS ARE SO HIGH THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE SUFFERING. >> WE’RE SEEING MORE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE CLASS, YOU KNOW, ONE ILLNESS, ONE JOB LOSS, ONE BIG CATASTROPHE IS GOING TO SET THEM BACK AND NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR MORTGAGE OR RENT . PHIL: SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK, WHICH SUPPLIES EIGHT MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD EACH YEAR LOCALLY IS GOOD BAROMETER FOR HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR SOME TO MAKE ENDS MEET. >> WE’RE SUPPORTING ABOUT 20% OF THE COUNTY’S POPULATION. SURVEYS AND OTHER RESEARCH SUGGEST ABOUT 33% ARE ENDANGER -- IN DANGER OF FOOD INSECURITY. PHIL: NOT ALL STATISTICS ON THIS ARE THE SAME. THE FEDERAL POVERTY RATE, WHICH DOES NOT TAKE COST OF LIVING INTO ACCOUNT SHOWS THE LEVEL HAS DECLINED SINCE 2015, FROM 15.3% TO 14.3% TODAY THE PPIC, WHICH DOES TAKE THE COST OF LIVING INTO ACCOUNT, CLAIMS THE LEVEL IS 23.8%, SECOND ONLY TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY. IT’S AN ISSUE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH. >> WHILE THE COUNTY IS MAKING A NUMBER OF CHANGES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING COSTS INCLUDING HOW TO CONSTRUCT MORE HOUSING, WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO IN THAT COMPONENT. WAGES HAVE ONLY STAGNATED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOUSING LEVELS HAVE EXPLODED. THAT IS A COMMUNITYWIDE DISCUSSION. PHIL: LATINOS CONTINUE TO HAVE HIGHER POVERTY RATES POVERTY MAKING UP 53% OF POOR CALIFORNIANS. THE COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP IS WORKING TO CHANGE THAT. >> SO, HELPING PEOPLE TO RENEW THEIR WORK PERMITS, THEIR GREEN CARDS TO BECOME U.S. CITIZENS AND THEREBY INCREASE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES. PHIL: A RECENT REPORT SHOWS THAT 25,000 OF THE WORKFORCE COMMUTE OUT OF COUNTY EVERY DAY SO THEY CAN MAKE ENDS MEET. SOMETHING THE COUNTY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO ADDRESS. >> WE WOULD LOVE TO PROVIDE BUSINESSES WITH THE TALENT THEY NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE AND TO STAY HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND WE WOULD LIKE IT TO CO FROM RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE. PHIL: THE PPIC WEBSITE EXPLAINS THEIR METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THESE STATISTICS COMES FROM A SAMPLING OF RESPONSES FROM RANDOM DIGIT DIALING TO LANDLINES AND CELL PHONES. DAN: HOMELESS CAMPERS AT THE RIVER STREET CAMPSITE RECEIVED A TWO-MONTH REPRIEVE. THE CITY ORIGINALLY GAVE A JUNE 1 DEADLINE FOR THE MOVE BUT IS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING A NEW LOCATION. ABOUT 50 PEOPLE REMAIN AT THE CITY OWNED LOT ON RIVER STREET . THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO OPEN A